biochemical

We try to finish college so we can land a high-paying job. We wake up each morning with the thought of how we’re going to get through the day at the office, how we can finally get a promotion and receive a higher salary. We go home not to relax, but to spend the whole night being bothered of how good (or bad) we did at work. Ladies and gents, don’t you know, we spend a roughly 90% of one year of our existence working for money! There’s actually no problem about it. After all, who doesn’t need money to survive? The thing is, has it ever crossed your mind whether or not you’re safe at work?

There are different types of hazards that employees are exposed to depending mainly on the nature of their job. Occupational health, a branch in medicine that deals with possible safety risks in working environments, categorizes them into three: physical and mechanical, biochemical, and psychological.

Among these three types, psychological hazards are the most ignored. If we only knew, intentional violence has been one of the major causes of workplace accidents, according to the Department of labor statistics. What does this tell us? Sometimes, peace of mind, stress, burnout and other psychological problems are too personal for employers to step in and care. It only means that employees, at this level, must take the responsibility. Although, we also have to take into account other psychological threats in which employers are expected to monitor and assess, such as bullying and sexual harassment.